Sony Pictures, the studio behind the upcoming Ron Howard-directed adaptation of Dan Brown's mammoth bestselling novel, has released a short "Da Vinci Code" trailer, which has been playing in a number of theaters just before "Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith."

The "teaser" trailer, as such early previews are called, is debuting just as Britain's Westminster Abbey announced it would not allow Howard's movie to film there because the Abbey considers the book "theologically unsound."

But the movie will be able to film inside the Louvre, the famous Paris museum in which the book's opening murder scene is set.

The "Da Vinci Code" teaser trailer, which has been playing on an unspecified number of "Revenge of the Sith's" 9,000 film prints, sets to accomplish three things: stake out the film's release date of May 19, 2006, and thus keep other competing movies at bay; remind the book's legion of readers that the film is in the works; and establish the production's international cast, which includes Tom Hanks, France's Audrey Tautou and Jean Reno, and England's Alfred Molina, Ian McKellen and Paul Bettany.

"It just seemed like there's so much knowledge and awareness of this book, it seemed natural" to run a trailer a year early, said Brian Grazer, Howard's longtime producing partner. Along with John Calley, Grazer is producing "The Da Vinci Code."

In keeping with the book's theories about hidden messages, the teaser itself contains a few secret communications. At one point, scattered letters briefly spell out "Find Robert Langdon," the name of the novel's symbologist.

Without any film to include in the "Da Vinci Code" spot (production commences at the end of June), Sony and trailer maker Intralink Film Graphic Design concocted a computerized model of what appears to be a desert landscape.

The camera swoops into the apparently parched earth as a narrator intones, "What if the world's greatest works of art held a secret that could change the course of mankind forever?"

The dry canyons are soon revealed to be cracks in the painted canvas of the "Mona Lisa." At that point the narrator says, "No matter what you have read, no matter what you believe, the journey has just begun."

That last line could be interpreted as a way to head off some of the novel's critics, who argue its story of Jesus and Mary Magdalene's having children is blasphemous.

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone has gone so far as to say Roman Catholics should not read the book.

Even though the book is starting to fall on the bestseller charts, Brown's 2003 tale of hidden mysteries, code breaking and the Catholic Church has sold more than 25 million copies in 44 languages. Howard said that while in Europe scouting "Da Vinci Code" locations he ended up on an airplane sitting next to someone buried in the novel.

While the "Da Vinci Code" preview was not included among the trailers shipped by 20th Century Fox with the "Revenge of the Sith" film prints, Sony has been able to place the trailer in some key theaters.

One self-described fan of the novel has criticized the trailer, and even made one of his own. "I think the official teaser is too predictable and commercial," Claudio Meli said in a "Da Vinci Code" chat room.

Meli created his own unauthorized "Da Vinci Code" trailer, which can be seen at: www.leportediparigi.com/mm/ codice.wmv. Meli did not respond to an e-mail message seeking additional comment.

As for Westminster Abbey, the church said Tuesday that the filmmakers had inquired about filming there, but were told to look elsewhere.

Sony declined further comment, but the studio has retained Sitrick and Co., a public relations firm that specializes in crisis management and controversial films, including Howard and Grazer's Oscar-winning "A Beautiful Mind."

Said Grazer of any potential controversy surrounding the movie: "We're trying not to talk about that too much." *